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「聞一尊宿」：他聽見有一個老參師傅，這個老參上座是很有參學，很有經驗，很有閱歷的，也很懂得修行，老資格了。這個「尊宿」就是老資格了，也就是老前輩。「舉狗子無佛性話」：說狗子無佛性嗎？講這個話頭。講這個話頭的時候，他就「大豁疑礙」，把他所有的疑團都打破了，沒有了，對什麼也不懷疑了。於是乎他就又去參拜「檀度依和尚」，參拜這位和尚。
「尚曰，江南近日佛法河似此間」：這位和尚說，「江南的佛法和我們這兒的佛法，有什麼不同的，你到這兒來啦？」就問他這個。這不是說怎麼樣，這都是普通講話；說你從江南來，江南現在的佛法比較江北怎樣啊？就這麼一些話。「師曰」：那麼師就說了。「前月廿六離揚州」：我在上一個月廿六就離開揚州了。這個意思也是答得很對。那邊近來佛法怎樣，我不知道，意思也就在這裏。
這是意在言外。你說是他沒有答覆，不是的，這有關係的。他說我前月廿六日離開那兒，意思就是說近來怎麼樣，我不知道了。這是很好的一個答覆，並不是什麼不正當的答覆。你們要看一看，他問「近日」佛法何似此間。他回說，我上個月就離開了，那近日怎麼樣我怎麼知道啊？我不知道。所以你們想一想，是不是這樣的？很淺的嘛！
「尚曰賊是小人」：他這麼一說，這是也有一點不老實。因為問他怎麼樣，他不想說那地方好或不好，他就說我上個月就離開那兒了，沒有說近來的佛法怎麼樣，沒說。所以那個和尚就罵他「賊是小人」，說是「那盡偷東西的人，就是小人。」也就是這意思。他簡直的就心不直，所以他罵他說賊是小人。賊，不是正人君子。你這個答覆我還不滿意，就這樣。
「師曰，恐駭聽聞」：這位興徹禪師就說：「唉！我不敢講啊！我講了怕把世界人都嚇壞了，我不敢講。」這就說近日佛法如何？江南那些個和尚，殺了人啦！你說這是不是把所有的人都嚇壞了？說那個地方的和尚還俗了。這大家也都很不舒服了。近來他知道這個消息，他不講，所以他就小小聲說「恐駭聽聞」，恐伯叫大家都害怕了。所以這又是個開玩笑嘛，這也可以說是講了事實了。恐駭聽聞，你看！人家一聽見就害怕了，這是個什麼意思？消息不好。你懂了嗎？一定是有個女孩子被一個小和尚給抓去了。你看，這所以他不能講。
「遂嗣其法」：由這之後，他就接檀度的法。「初開法金峰」：最初做方文在金峰寺。「次主石頭」：以後到石頭寺，在那邊又做方丈。「檀度門下傑出數人」：在檀度這位和尚的門下，有很多出乎其類，拔乎其萃的法門龍象。「師獨居上也」：這位興徹禪師，他是最上的，他是首屈一指的。
贊曰：
腰包參學 氣宇良深
據座出世 肩荷獨任
植無根樹 鼓沒絃琴
瞻此面目 如聞雅音
「腰包參學」：腰包，膿包；參學可以說是膿包，可以說草包。腰包，就是腰裏頭的包。帶著什麼呢？帶著錢。就自己用自己的力量到各處去參學。
「氣宇良深」：他的氣度一定是很好的。你們大家如果想要看看他這個相在什麼地方呢？原來也有眼睛，又有鼻子，又有耳朵，又有嘴巴，氣宇良深。
「據座出世」：他能據師子座，出來做一方的法主。
「肩荷獨任」：他自己自強不息。肩荷就是肩膀上擔負重任。獨任，就是自己擔負起來責任。
「植無根樹」：樹如果沒有根，怎麼會活呢？這是不容易的事情，可是他就能這樣的。人家做不到的，旁人種樹沒有根不活，他能把它種活了。
「鼓沒絃琴」：琴要是沒絃子，有什麼聲音呢？他也可以彈那個調調。
「瞻此面目」：看見這位禪師的面目。
「如聞雅音」：就像聽見他自己講的話那種師子吼，無畏說，那種雅音一樣的。
或說偈曰：
矢志出塵有宿因 嵩乳門下出真人
霜天一色鴻雁飛 大地同春獅子鳴
聞可雕琢急掩耳 觀空離相展心燈
歷主梵剎續正法 慈航普渡指迷津
這我沒有事情找事情幹，班門弄斧，又說幾句。說是：
「矢志出塵有宿因」：他怎麼有這樣的志願呢？就因為他宿世有大善根。
「嵩乳門下出真人」：在嵩乳門下他是最真的了，最上的了。
「霜天一色鴻雁飛」：這種大自然的境界，他領略到了，原來就是這樣的。
「大地同春獅子鳴」：他也明白大地同春這種春夏秋冬，寒來暑往，秋收冬藏這些個問題，原來都是循環無端的，都是週而復始的。天地間的氣運就是這樣這樣的。你問什麼樣子？我怎麼知道。
「聞可雕琢急掩耳」：聽見讚歎他是可以雕琢的一塊好的材料，一個法器，他恐怕自己生驕傲心，趕快把耳朵掩上，不要再繼續聽下去了。
「觀空離相展心燈」：他觀空也空了，再把空的相也離開了。你有個空的相，那還是著相的。「觀空亦空，空無所空；所空既無，無也無。」無也沒有了。「無既無，湛然沈寂」，那個時候「寂無所寂，即逢春。與即不生，即展心燈。」心燈打開了。
「歷主梵剎續正法」 ：他在各處做方丈，就是他繼續佛教的正法眼藏。
「慈航普渡指迷津」：他好像一個大法船，在眾生的業海裏頭，滔天的波浪，他來指點一個出路，一個正確的光明道路。
（全文完）
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Hearing a Venerable Elder, a seasoned cultivator; a senior-seated monk with much learning, experience, and know-how in cultivation; an elder monk,
discuss the meditation topic of whether or not a dog has a Buddha nature, his doubts were thoroughly resolved. All his doubts were obliterated. They vanished without a trace, and he had no more doubts regarding anyone. Thereupon,
he visited and bowed to the Venerable Tandu Yi, who said, "How does the Buddhadharma of Jiangnan in recent times compare with here?" He was making casual conversation: "You've come from Jiangnan ("South of the Yangtze River"). How does the Buddhadharma there compare with that on the north side of the Yangtze?"
The Master replied, "I left Yangzhou on the twenty-sixth of the past month." His answer made perfect sense. In other words, he was saying, "I don't know the recent situation of the Buddhadharma there, since I left last month." That was his implied meaning. Someone said that the Master was evading the question, but that's not the case. His answer made sense. It was a good answer, not at all inappropriate. He said, "I left last month, so how could I know how the Buddhadharma has been in the past several days? I don't know." That's all there is to it. It's pretty straightforward.
The Venerable One said, "Thieves are petty people." The Master's answer was a bit evasive, since he didn't say whether the Buddhadharma in Jiangnan was good or not. He simply said he had left the month before and didn't comment on the Buddhadharma. The Venerable One rebuked him, telling him that those who steal things are petty. The Master was not being forthright at all. The Venerable One called him a thief, the opposite of an upright, virtuous person, saying, "I'm not satisfied with your answer."
The Master, Dhyana Master Xingche,
said, "I'm afraid to alarm those who might hear. I dare not speak, lest I alarm the people of the world." For example, if someone asked him about the state of Buddhism and he said, "The monks in Jiangnan are murderers," wouldn't you think people would be alarmed? If he said, "The monks there have returned to lay life," don't you think people would feel ill at ease? He knew what was going on, but he couldn't say it, so he simply whispered, "I'm afraid to alarm those who might hear." You could say he was joking, but you could also say he was revealing the truth. Alarming news would certainly not be good news. Do you understand? Most probably a young monk seduced a girl. That's why Master Xingche couldn't say anything.
The Venerable One then transmitted the Dharma to him. The Master received a Dharma transmission from Venerable Tandu.
The Master became abbot first at Jinfeng (Gold Summit) Monastery, and then at Shitou (Stone) Monastery. Venerable Tandu had numerous outstanding disciples, but the Master surpassed them all. There were quite a few noteworthy "dragons and elephants" of the Dharma studying under Venerable Tandu, yet Dhyana Master Xingche was most exceptional of them all.
A verse in praise says:
Taking his purse, he traveled about.
Wholesome and profound was his character.
Assuming the abbotship,
He shouldered the burden alone.
He planted trees without roots,
And strummed lutes without strings.
Beholding his visage,
One hears his fine voice.
Commentary:
Taking his purse, he traveled about. In Chinese, the word for purse is similar to the terms for "blister" and "coarse fellow," both of which can be used to describe a wandering monk. The purse is worn on the waist and used to carry money. This implies that one travels about relying on one's own strength and resources.
Wholesome and profound was his character. His temperament was certainly fine. Would you like to see his portrait? He has eyes, ears, a nose and a mouth, just like everyone else, but his disposition was especially fine and noble.
Assuming the abbotship, the Lion Throne, he was the Dharma Host for that particular place.
He shouldered the burden alone. He developed his own strength so that he could take responsibility upon himself.
He planted trees without roots. How can rootless trees live? It's not easy. However, he was able to do it. Rootless trees planted by other people died, but those planted by him survived.
And strummed lutes without strings. How could a stringless lute produce any sound? However, he was able to play tunes on it.
Beholding his visage, / One hears his fine voice. Seeing the face of this Dhyana Master is like hearing his elegant sound, his Lion's Roar of fearless proclamation.
Another verse says:
Past causes led to his vow to transcend the world.
A man of genuine virtue emerged from Songru's disciples.
Seeing wild geese flying through the wintry sky,
He realized that spring is everywhere and lions are roaring.
Praised as fit for carving,
He quickly covered his ears.
Contemplating emptiness as devoid of marks,
He lit the lamp of the mind.
As abbot of pure temples,
He perpetuated the Proper Dharma.
The ship of compassion saves all,
Pointing out the way to those gone astray.
Commentary:
Having nothing better to do, I have presumptuously composed these lines.
Past causes led to his vow to transcend the world. Why did he make such a resolve? It was due to his tremendous, good roots from previous lives.
A man of genuine virtue emerged from Songru's disciples. Among the disciples of Venerable Songru,
he was the most true and excellent.
Seeing wild geese flying
through the wintry sky, surrounded by Nature, he awoke and
realized, "Oh, so that's how things originally are."
He
realized that spring is everywhere and lions are roaring. He
understood the principle of the cycle of seasons—spring,
summer, fall, and winter. When the cold comes, the heat
departs. We harvest in the fall and store the food away for
winter. That's how the seasons and the weather are. How
exactly are they? I don't know.
Praised as fit for carving.
Hearing himself praised as having the potential to amount to
something, to be made into a Dharma vessel, he quickly
covered his ears and listened no more, for fear that he
might become self- complacent.
Contemplating emptiness as
devoid of marks. He contemplated that emptiness was itself
empty and without marks. If you still have the mark of
emptiness, you are still attached to marks. "Contemplate
emptiness as empty; though empty, there is no emptying;
since there is no emptying, there is nothing at all. Since
there is nothing, all is profoundly still and tranquil." At
that point, "when stillness is without what is stilled,
spring appears. When nothing comes into being, the lamp of
the mind is lit." Then he lit the lamp of the mind.
As abbot
of pure temples, / He perpetuated the Treasury of the Proper
Dharma Eye of Buddhism.
The ship of compassion saves all. He
was like a great Dharma ship on the ocean of living beings'
karma, pointing out the way to those gone astray. Amidst
tidal waves, he pointed a proper and bright path and a means
of escape.
(The End)
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